|
|
A GUIDE TO HELICOPTERS IN CINEMA & TELEVISION |
| FLIGHT LOGS: | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|
Apparently out of control or damaged, a helicopter flies over a hill, or behind a landmark.
Once it's out of view, there's a huge explosion to suggest the aircraft has crashed. Few movies
have the budget to afford model effects, or write-off even a mock-up helicopter.
The escaping hero and sidekick or partner climb aboard an unattended helicopter. One
asks the other "Can you fly this thing?""No... but hang on!" comes the reply, and then the machine performs a decidedly wobbly takeoff.
In pursuit of a road vehicle, the hero - or his stuntman, at least - jumps down from
a low-flying helicopter onto or into the wildly swerving vehicle as it races along a
conveniently deserted highway.
A helicopter is forced to make an emergency landing on the roof of a building and it
promptly crashes through the ceiling into a crowded room.
At night time, helicopters flying in the distance (especially military machines) are
often mistaken for UFOs.
In the movies, a stolen helicopter only ever carries two minutes of aviation fuel. In
such incidents, the hero has to perform a dangerous emergency landing - a survivable
technique called autorotation - while any machine piloted by a villain invariably
blows up (see item number one)... The moral of this is, of course - never get into a
helicopter with an action movie bad guy!
By far the most used and/ or abused rotorcraft cliché in movies and TV is the sound
effect of a helicopter passing 'overhead', without a chopper ever being visible on-screen.
In stereo, it 'travels' from one side/ speaker(s) to the other, accentuating the Doppler effect.
This particular audio trick is notable in the Dolby advert featuring a computer-animated helicopter.
- Tony Lee
Shorter version 1st published in fanzine ALTERNATIES #20, 1994
If you see any film or TV helicopter stunts, not already
listed on this site, please contact me with details. I'm also interested in more pictures of helicopters from movies and TV shows, for use on this site. Subscribe to the Rotary Action newsletter mailing list. EXTRAS: Search | Gallery | History | Amazon UK | Links.
Like what ROTARY ACTION does? Please help this website by sending money... |
|
Thanks to ROTARY ACTION contributors -
Jenni Allen (Flying Pictures),
Bernd Biege,
Captain Jean Bizot,
Derek Blake,
Richard Bowden,
Jeremy Braben,
Jim Burlingame,
Wes Carr,
Mark Caswell,
Jamie Chalkley (Eastern Atlantic Helicopters),
Patrick Christine,
Brian Cooper,
Steve Covington,
James D'Angina,
Nathan Decker,
Dan Demeter,
Craig Dyer (Blackstar Helicopters),
Ruth Ferguson,
Jason Firestorm,
Frame Bruce Fletcher,
Ian Vincent Frain - BSc AMRAeS,
John C. Goble,
Todd Goetz,
Louis Gonzalez,
Shaun J. Greaney,
Martin Gula (Flex, MiG-29),
Carsten Hagen,
Steven Hampton,
Amy Harlib,
Greg Harrison,
Bill Hiers,
Joe Hinson,
Andrew Hughes,
Paul Jackson (Sikorsky),
JLH,
Chris Johnston,
Stephen Lee,
Winnie Leung,
Tony Lowry (Biggin Hill),
Kevin Lyons,
Roger Matthysen,
Jonathan McCalmont,
Brian McIntyre,
John Moore,
Donald Morefield,
James Moors,
Corey Mugaas,
Mike Pepper (Enigma),
Robin Petgrave (Celebrity Helicopters),
Daryl Privette,
Sergeant Ruben 'Radar' Rodriguez (patrol division/ tactical flight officer, Nueces County Sheriff's Department),
Trevor Rose (IHP Worldwide),
Andy and Arlene Sidaris
(Malibu Bay Films),
Jim Snyder,
Steve Stafford (Studio Wings),
Lance Strumpf,
Dan Sweet (Columbia Helicopters),
Javier Franco Topper,
Justin Travis,
Costas Tsaganas,
Jared Whittenberg,
Alex Youngs (American Eurocopter). |
| This is a non-profit fan site, featuring publicity photos and images from various movies - but no copyright infringement is intended. |
|
visit our sites:
VideoVista
- monthly VHS & DVD reviews |
Girls with Guns
- action movie heroines The ZONE - genre nonfiction | FAX 21 - illustrated SF & humour | Soundchecks - music reviews... |
|